ripe olives

Who knew Breakfast could be so fun? That’s right, Mexican and Pie for breakfast–two of my favorite foods together. The great thing about this dish is you can serve it for dinner or breakfast. I am making this once a week. It is so easy and you can tweak the recipe to fit the tastes of your family. Enjoy!

How about an easy breezy dish that will keep them coming back for more? This can be put together in 10 minutes and will cook in 20 minutes. I do recommend that you pre-cook the pie crust before you fill it. Another great tip is to cook up Extra lean ground beef with taco seasoning and freeze it in one pound packages. You can put this meal together in no time and have a great dinner with very little effort.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place the pie crust on a center rack and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.

In a skillet brown the extra lean ground beef, add taco seasoning and water to pan and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Place cooked beef with taco seasoning in the bottom of the pie crust. If you are using refried beans, stir them in with the beef before you put it on the bottom of the pie crust. Top with onions, tomatoes and cheese. Return the pie plate to the oven and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite taco toppings, sliced ripe olives, diced lettuce, diced green onion tops, sour cream and salsa.

It is hard to believe but I have been experiencing the Paleo lifestyle for just about 8 weeks. I have lost 10 pounds and I feel great. I am walking 5 miles a day and playing tennis several times a week so I know my energy level is up. While the Butcher started the lifestyle with me he quickly digressed and is now eating as he sees fit. As he puts it, “I am eating Paleo and everything else I want to”. With that said, he is eating a lot of Paleo because I am cooking Paleo. Last night I made a Taco Salad without chips and without cheese. Even the Butcher was impressed. He eyed the leftovers and quickly volunteered to eat the rest. He may convert to a Paleo lifestyle after all.

cherry tomatoes, and couldn’t resist popping them in my mouth. There is nothing like a tomato right off of the vine. They tasted wonderful. The flowers are so beautiful. I have never seen such colorful hydrangeas. I love mornings like this. It does not get too hot for me. I remember the cold winter months and I embrace the summer months with a passion.I love tomatoes. In the winter, where are you going to get fresh tomatoes? The answer is from Dennis who grows tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce hydroponically. I went to his greenhouse yesterday. I thought you put up a greenhouse, put in plants and voila you have produce. Not so! There is so much work involved. Dennis was giving me the technical aspects, and it was way over my head; However, I am glad Dennis has this down because he has amazing produce. He is always at the Copley Creekside Farmers Market , www.copleycreeksidefarmersmarket.com on Thursday afternoons from 3:00 to 7:00. You can also get his fresh grown produce at Sherman Provision.

I like to make a Taco Salad to have a light meal and use that amazing produce.

Brown the ground beef in a skillet, add the 2 packages of Taco Seasoning Mix and cook according to package directions. Put the lettuce in a large bowl. Put the toppings in their own individual bowl. Everyone can make their own taco salad. Mix the 2 teaspoons of Taco Seasoning in the Ranch Dressing and you have an excellent dressing for the taco salad.

I put mine together like this–Tortilla Chips on the bottom of the plate, lettuce, tomatoes, Taco Meat, onions, ripe olives, cheese and dressing. Delicious! It is so light, and when you keep everything separate, you can have the leftovers for lunch or another dinner.

Also, take some of the leftover Taco Meat, put it on a microwave safe plate, cover it with the shredded Mexican Cheese, and microwave for about 45 seconds. When the cheese is melted, serve with salsa and you have an excellent appetizer or a quick summer meal.

What are some quick light dinners you like to make in the summer? Please share, I am always looking for new ideas.